Karachi Massacre
16 May, 2007
The nation is still mourning what it is dubbed as the bloodiest state-sponsored violence in Karachi on May 12, the day when Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudry was supposed to address a Sindh High Court Bar’s ceremony in connection the golden jubilee of Sindh High Court.
It, nevertheless, was expected that there could be some physical confrontation between the workers of rival parties as Muttehida Quami Movement, the major coalition partner in Sindh, had announced a counter rally, which, itself was a bizarre incident in the political history.
But, no one expected that there would be no government and law in Karachi on May 12. Erecting containers, vehicles, tankers and other barricades in an apparent bid to prevent the opposition activists and lawyers to proceed to the airport to welcome the chief justice blocked almost the city roads.
Armed supporters of MQM blocked Sharae Faisal, the city’s busiest road and the route where the chief justice was supposed to travel. They were firing on every moving thing, including ambulances. The law enforcing agencies were already disarmed so that they could not interfere in MQM’s business.
The most worrying and pinching aspect of May 12 carnage is that the issue is no more of a political nature. It has assumed ethnic proportions as, according to media reports, various people were gunned down after being identified as Pushtuns by the armed terrorists. Even, a Pushtun driver of Edhi ambulance, who were carrying an injured worker of Awami National Party to the hospital, was intercepted by the armed persons, and shot dead in broad day light.
Here are some questions
1) Was this a calculated conspiracy to resort to ethnic clashes in Karachi?
2) Where does MQM stand now? Was this all made to happen because a huge rally in favor of the chief justice would decide that Karachi is not a MQM’s city as it claims ?
3) Was MQM’s announcement of a counter rally on the same day in line with democratic norms?
4) Who should be really held responsible for May 12 massacre?
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